Smoking pipe holder

ABSTRACT

A hollow rectangular box may be closed with a lid. A horizontal flat strip inside the box has a plurality of notches for holding the stems of pipes when the lid is open. Two flaps may be supported flush against the bottom of the box when a means is in a first state. When the means is in a second state, the flaps drop down to form a rack for the storage of more pipes.

Umted States Patent [191 [111 Gonzalez Dec. 9, 1975 SMOKING PIPE HOLDER 769,350 9/1904 King 206/72 x [751 Invent Luis Gonzalez, San $22??? 311323 225 321...........iijiiiiiiii.f9%iia21;

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Raymond Lee Organization Inc., a p n Summer part interest 2] Filed Dec 13, 1974 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 532,583

A hollow rectangular box may be closed with a lid. A horizontal flat strip inside the box has a plurality of U-S. notches for the tems of pipes when the is Int. CL --'B65D I pen ,Two flaps may be the 365!) 25/20 bottom of the box when a means is in a first state. of 1| l, 44, when the is in a second tate, the drop down to form a tack for the storage of more pipes. [56] References Cited V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 365,245 6/1887 DeGraff 206/45.l4 X

U.S. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 SMOKING PIPE HOLDER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide a device that can hold a large number of pipes, but that can be folded up to take up very little space.

Thus, a hollow rectangular box can be closed with a lid, or can be left with the lid open, in which case an opening with straight top and bottom edges and downwardly and forwardly extending side edges is created.

A strip projects forwardly from the top edge of the opening, and bears a plurality of regularly spaced notches, that hold the stems of a plurality of pipes to form a pipe holder when the lid is open. The strip is enclosed in the interior of the box when the lid is shut.

Below the box is disposed a pair of hingedly connected flaps connected in series. The first flap is connected to the bottom of the box and to the second flap, which has a loose and notched front edge.

A means has a first state and a second state. The means keeps the flaps supported flush against the bottom of the box when in the first state, and keeps the second flap perpendicular to the first flap when the first flap hangs down vertically and the means is in the second state.

Thus, when the means is in its second state, the second flap forms a notched horizontal ledge which can hold pipes. When the means is in the first state, the flaps fold up flush against the bottom of the box for easy storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows the invention in its fully folded state.

FIg. 2 shows the invention in its fully unfolded state.

FIG. 3 shows the details of the hinged attachment of the lid to the box.

FIG. 4 shows construction details of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows the invention hanging on a wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A hollow rectangular box has a horizontal floor 20, and a lid 30 attached to the top of the box by a pair of hinges 40. When the lid is open, an opening with straight top and bottom edges 50 and 60 and forwardly and downwardly extending side edges 70 is formed, revealing a flat horizontal strip 80 that projects forwardly from the top edge and bears a plurality of regularly spaced notches 90. As can be seen in FIG. 4, these notches can support the stem of a smoking pipe 100, whose bowl is disposed in a recess 110 in the floor. For each notch on the strip there is a corresponding recess on the floor.

I-Iingedly attached to the rear of the floor is a flat rectangular first flap that is attached to the floor along its rear edge by hinge 130. The front edge of flap 120 is hinged to the rear edge of second flap by hinge 150. Flap 140 is also flat and rectangular, and the flaps are so shaped that both flaps are congruent to the floor when allowed to lie flat.

One end of an elongated arm is pivotally secured to the side of flap 120. The other end of the arm bears a hole, which can engage either pin or pin 180. Pin 170 is disposed on the box, and when the arm is engaged therewith, supports both flaps, flush against the floor. When the arm is engaged with pin 180, which is disposed on the second flap, the two flaps are kept mutually perpendicular, with the first flap hanging vertically downwardly from the floor. Since the second flap bearsa plurality of notches 190, more pipe storage space can be provided with the arm engaged with pin 180. To transport the device, the lid is folded down, and pin 170 is engaged by the arm, folding the flaps up against the floor.

While the invention has been described with detailed reference to the drawings, the protection sought is to be limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A pipe holder, comprising:

a hollow rectangular box with a horizontal floor and an opening in its top and front, the opening having straight top and bottom edges an forwardly and downwardly curving side edges;

a flat horizontal strip projecting forwardly from the top edge of the opening, and bearing a plurality of regularly spaced notches;

a lid hingedly secured to the top edge of the box, the lid being so shaped as to close off the box when the lid is closed into a hollow rectangular box that encloses the strip in its interior;

a rectangular flat first flap with front and rear edges, the first flap being hingedly secured at its rear edge to the floor of the box and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom;

a rectangular flat second flap with front and rear edges, the second flap being hingedly secured at its rear edge to the front edge of the first flap and bearing a plurality of regularly spaced notches along its front edge; and

means having first and second states, the means supporting both flaps in a horizontal plane below the floor when in the first state and supporting the second flap in a horizontal plane when the first flap is hanging downwardly in a vertical plane, when the means is in the second state.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the means includes a pin disposed on the second flap, a pin disposed on a side wall of the box, and an arm pivotally secured to the -first flap and detachably securable to either pin. 

1. A pipe holder, comprising: a hollow rectangular box with a horizontal floor and an opening in its top and front, the opening having straight top and bottom edges an forwardly and downwardly curving side edges; a flat horizontal strip projecting forwardly from the top edge of the opening, and bearing a plurality of regularly spaced notches; a lid hingedly secured to the top edge of the box, the lid being so shaped as to close off the box when the lid is closed into a hollow rectangular box that encloses the strip in its interior; a rectangular flat first flap with front and rear edges, the first flap being hingedly secured at its rear edge to the floor of the box and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom; a rectangular flat second flap with front and rear edges, the second flap being hingedly secured at its rear edge to the front edge of the first flap and bearing a plurality of regularly spaced notches along its front edge; and means having first and second states, the means supporting both flaps in a horizontal plane below the floor when in the first state and supporting the second flap in a horizontal plane when the first flap is hanging downwardly in a vertical plane, when the means is in the second state.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the means includes a pin disposed on the second flap, a pin disposed on a side wall of the box, and an arm pivotally secured to the first flap and detachably securable to either pin. 